PLANT USEFUL TO THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE LIKOUALA DEPARTMENT, REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Forests are ecosystems with a great diversity of habitats, niches and species. Man as a whole maintains perfect relations with the forest for his vital needs. Carried out in the Likouala forest on an area of 1 ha with the objective of improving knowledge of the plants most used by indigenous peoples, has demonstrated 289 trees with diameters ≥ cm to 130 cm from the ground, belonging to 61 species 55 genera and 31 m families. It reveals that the Sapotaceae and Myristicaceae families are the most used by the indigenous people as well as the species Staudtia kamerunens is. The values of the Shannon and Piélou Equitability indices indicate that the floristic diversity is maximal. The density per hectare is considerable. This study indicates, the natives use much more the parts of the trees as: the stem, the fruits, the bark, latex for their vital needs (construction, pharmacopoeia, food, diverse manufacture) of which the most used part is the bark. It is clearly indicated that the forest is still an essential environment for indigenous people because their lives depend on it.